Alcohol Sales at The Grille Officially Suspended

Author: Peter Simon Staff Writer

After failing a compliance check by the Vermont Department of Liquor Control (DLC) in October, The Grille is continuing to sell alcohol while re-training employees to effectively check identification (I.D.). The Grille, which voluntarily suspended alcohol sales for a week following the incident, will officially enact a three-day suspension of its liquor license in early December and implement further employee training in January.

"It's been a learning experience more than anything else," said Director of Dining Services Peter Napolitano. "It's given us an opportunity to review procedures on checking identification."

The infraction occurred on Oct. 28, when the DLC inspector watched as an underage person presented valid I.D. in an attempt to purchase an alcoholic beverage. The employee miscalculated the person's age and served the beverage, according to Steve Reigle, the general manager of McCullough Dining Services, in the Nov. 7 issue of the The Middlebury Campus.

The employee was fined $120 for the infraction, but is still employed at The Grille. "No amount of training will prevent a momentary lapse in judgment," said Davin Kerin, manager of The Grille. "We don't punish someone for a simple mistake." Kerin explained that the fine "speaks volumes" to other Grille employees about their responsibility to serve alcohol to legal drinkers only. The Grille shut down alcohol sales for one week immediately after the infraction took place to re-train their 21 staff members. Kerin, who himself is a former employee of the DLC, re-trained staff members in the manner required by the state.

According to Kerin, the state requires that a representative of each establishment attend a state-sponsored, state-presented seminar at least once every two years and then relay the training to all employees. Kerin, who attends these seminars "once or twice a year," has trained all staff members on selling alcohol in recent weeks.

In addition, the liquor inspector who cited The Grille will give the actual seminar to Grille employees during the first week of January.

The Grille has never had any problems with the sale of alcohol until the October incident. "They've done compliance checks with us 2 or 3 times before, and we passed both times," said Napolitano. "We are confident that we will pass when they check us in the future." The Grille's own policy toward alcohol sales exists to provide "the opportunity to consume alcohol in a mature, responsible manner," according to Kerin.

The Grille does not allow customers to consume more than three alcoholic beverages in one sitting, buy a round or run a tab.

According to both Napolitano and Kerin, the sale of alcohol has never been an important part of The Grille's total sales. Alcohol sales, which comprise only a small portion of The Grille's revenue, are "not what The Grille is all about," said Napolitano.

Kerin noted, "We sell more Fresh Samanthas than beer or wine."